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The Wire
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
‘We Will Die For Our Lands': Villagers in Arunachal's Siang District Protest Against Mega Dam Plan
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories 'We Will Die For Our Lands': Villagers in Arunachal's Siang District Protest Against Mega Dam Plan Aathira Perinchery 9 minutes ago As the state deployed armed forces and drilling machines were brought in for a pre-feasibility report for the hydropower project, protesting villagers burnt a hanging bridge to prevent them from approaching the area. Villagers in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh are protesting against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Photo: Nith Paron Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Bengaluru: 'No dam, go away' – that is the refrain that echoed in the village of Beging in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang district, against the proposed nearly 12,000 megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Since May 23, villagers have gone on an indefinite dharna (sit-in protest) against the deployment of armed forces in the area to implement the first phase of the project – a study for pre-feasibility report – at the village. Protesters also burnt down a hanging bridge to prevent the army from entering the village. During the protest, villagers also clarified their two immediate demands: that the government remove the armed forces deployed in the area in three days; and that it also remove the drilling machines brought to the area for the pre-feasibility study. Local communities' main concerns about the hydropower project – which is being implemented by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) – include displacement, loss of homes and agricultural lands, as well as the environmental impacts, such as the loss of rich biodiversity that the area is home to. To make matters worse, the Upper Siang project – set to be India's largest hydropower project, if it is built – is also proposed in a seismically-active area. A burning hanging bridge While villagers who would be affected by the project have been protesting against the proposed hydropower project for several years now, the latest protests are a result of armed forces being deployed in the area since May 21 for the first stage of the implementation of the project, in which the NHPC is to prepare a pre-feasibility report for the project. Sources told The Wire that around 100 army personnel – belonging to the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) – were deployed in the districts of Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang for the NHPC to conduct its pre-feasibility report. On May 23, in the village of Beging in Siang district – the epicentre of the protest – villagers took out a march in protest against the deployment. Spearheaded by the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF), they once again reinstated their demands that the government not build a dam in the area, starting with the removal of armed forces and the drilling machines brought in by NHPC to conduct the study. 'We will die for our lands,' villagers could be heard telling army personnel deployed in the area. Villagers in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh resist army deployment. Photo: Nith Paron The protestors also burnt a hanging bridge on the same day, in an effort to prevent the armed forces from reaching Beging village. Although it was meant to be a peaceful protest, emotions were high and some angry villagers burnt the bridge, Deccan Herald quoted Nith Paron, a SIFF youth wing leader, as saying. He added that people have been now convinced to not resort to violence in any form and engage in only peaceful agitations. A letter submitted to the deputy commissioner of Siang district by the SIFF on May 23 stated that they have initiated an 'indefinite dharna', in protest against the deployment of armed personnel for the initiation of the pre-feasibility report for the SUMP. The letter, accessed by The Wire, makes three clear requirements. Firstly, that the state remove all CAPF personnel from the districts of Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang, where they have been currently deployed. Secondly, that the drilling machine brought to Beging for the survey be removed in four days. And thirdly, that the government provide an assurance that 'no further forceful activity related to the PFR [pre-feasibility report] will be carried out without the free, prior and informed consent of the local communities.' The letter specified that failure to meet these demands by the local communities will result in them 'intensifying their democratic protest'. Long-standing concerns In mid December last year, villagers of Geku, Reiw and Parong in the Upper Siang districts had taken out marches protesting against the SUMP. The protests, similar to the latest one, were also in reaction to a directive by the Arunachal Pradesh government to deploy central and state armed forces in the area to implement the project. While the government has claimed that the SUMP is a counter to the mega dam being built by China just upstream of the Indian border on the Siang river before it enters India, local communities are still worried and have repeatedly raised a number of concerns about the project. Villagers worry that nearly 27 villages will be displaced, and their lands (either in whole or partly) will be acquired and/or submerged for the project. This will result in the loss of peoples' homes and their agricultural lands. Agriculture is the mainstay of people in the area. Secondly, the way that district authorities, the state government and the Union government have pushed forward with the initiation of the project, without taking the local people into confidence is of concern. Army deployment has become a regular phenomenon, and local communities have been resisting this actively. Army personnel at Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh. Photo: Nith Paron 'The whole scenario has been very sad and unjust for our people,' said Katon Moyong, a resident of Pasighat who arrived at Beging on May 23 to join the protest. Noting that the protest has been going on for decades against the dam, he said that the last two-three years have been particularly worrying. 'We have been demanding for no PFR for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Dam. Hiding the agenda, the district administration, the state and central governments have pushed through the system and brought all these equipment to Beging village to do a survey for land acquisition for the dam. Our people do not agree…if the public says no, it is no. The government does not have the right to enforce it,' he said. Another major concern the people have raised is that apart from the area's rich biodiversity, the Siang river also holds high cultural significance for the indigenous communities in the area. A dam could endanger this in many ways, including by loss of access to traditional fishing grounds, among others. Moyong said that by deploying the army, the state and central governments are sending a 'clear message' that they will still enforce the construction of the SUMP with or without the public's agreement. 'I came here [to be part of the proteste] so that we can save our lands…save our mountains and rivers from this sheer humiliation against us – putting a 12,000 MW dam in our lands without our permission, without our consent. That is a punch in our hearts,' he said. Moyong said that the protest is a 'warning to the leaders behind it – Arunachal chief minister Pema Khandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Amit Shah' to 'back off from this so that our people can live peacefully'. 'We are not against dams, but we are against large dams like the SUMP,' he said. 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Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
With central forces and drilling equipment brought in, locals restart protest against Siang dam in Arunachal
Protests have again broken out in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang district against the proposed 11,000 MW Upper Siang hydropower project. This comes days after security forces were moved into the area and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) brought in equipment to begin drilling work for a project feasibility analysis. The protesters, including those whose villages and farmlands would be affected by the dam, began an indefinite dharna at Beging in Siang district under the banner of Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF). The SIFF has been leading the opposition to the proposed Upper Siang hydropower project. Beging is the site where state authorities and the NHPC have sought to begin core drilling work to prepare a pre-feasibility report (PFR) for the project, a step that has been stalled for a year because of local opposition. According to an NHPC official, the equipment required for this was moved to Beging on May 20 after being given the go-ahead by the state administration and after Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed there. The Beging or Paring site is one of three proposed project sites along the Siang — the other two being Ugeng and Dite Dime. 'With the go-ahead, we proceeded, but before the work started, the protests also started. So, it looks like it will be stalled,' said the official. Neither the district police superintendent nor the deputy commissioner could be reached for comment. Local residents said that besides Beging, CAPF personnel have also been deployed at other villages such as Geku and Jengging, and in the district headquarters of both Siang and Upper Siang districts. Last December, panic and protests had spread in the region after the state government took a decision to deploy nine companies of CAPF as well as additional police to the proposed project sites in a bid to begin the drilling work. In the face of this opposition, the forces had not been moved into the area. 'After that, the forces did not come. But now they have come suddenly. Accommodation and permanent toilets have been made for them. The locals had not been consulted nor given any notification before the forces were brought in. We have all been opposing these dam activities since the beginning, but they are trying to do it forcefully,' said Nith Paron, a student leader from Upper Siang district. As hundreds gathered at the site to register their protest, some even torched a hanging bridge connecting Beging to the main road. Dubit Siram, another local activist and resident of Parong village, said protesters intend to be at the site around the clock. 'No consent was taken from locals before trying to force the work ahead using the armed forces. Now we are giving a three-day ultimatum to the authorities to remove all the armed forces from Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts and to remove all the equipment,' he said. Both the central and state governments are pushing for the Siang dam as a means to counter the possible effects of the China's planned 60,000 MW dam — the world's largest hydro-electric project — on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. The Yarlung Tsangpo flows into Arunachal Pradesh, where it is known as the Siang. It then joins other tributaries like the Dibang and Lohit to become the Brahmaputra in Assam. Arunachal Cabinet Minister Ojing Tasing, the MLA from the Pangin constituency in Siang, told The Indian Express that 'the dam will be built, the government will not compromise on that'. He also claimed that '80% of the people' in his constituency have 'verbally given the green signal' for the PFR to be completed, claiming that the protests were 'instigated by some people from outside the district'. 'The paramilitary forces are there to protect the equipment and the labour, not to threaten the public. The Arunachal government has held that we will only go forward with the work after taking the people into confidence,' he said.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Fresh protests in Arunachal against project meant to counter Chinese dam risks
Hundreds of people took to the streets in three Arunachal Pradesh districts on Friday against the deployment of central paramilitary forces for surveys for a hydropower project on the Siang river at Beging in the state's East Siang district. The government has maintained that the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) would counter the potential risks a mega Chinese hydropower project across the border on the same river poses. Residents have opposed SUMP and held protests since November. They have resisted attempts to conduct surveys and feasibility studies, prompting the Union government to deploy central paramilitary for them and thwart protests. The deployment triggered the fresh protests. Nith Paron, a resident, said peaceful protests were underway. '...as hundreds of residents was some chaos which resulted in damage to a hanging bridge across the river. Police and paramilitary forces have not used force on the protesters,' he said. There have been a series of protests against SUMP, which is estimated to affect at least 100,000 residents who could be uprooted. There are also concerns about the environmental impact of the project involving construction activities on the Siang River in Dite Dime, Parong, and Uggeng. The government has stressed the project's national importance in countering potential threats from China's release of large volumes of water from a dam being built on the Siang in Tibet. Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu in November said the damming of the Siang River, which the Chinese call Yarlung Tsangpo, in Tibet poses significant threats, including flash floods and water scarcity. 'These risks could have devastating consequences for downstream areas in the Siang region and beyond.' He added that the SUMP has been conceived to address these challenges. 'The project will not only store water to mitigate shortages but also serve as a safeguard against sudden flash floods caused by upstream water releases. If we do not act now, we risk being at the mercy of external forces that could harm our people and our lands.' On Thursday, residents under the banner of Dibang Resistance issued a statement, saying they were deeply disturbed by the forceful deployment of armed forces despite protests from affected landowners. 'This heavy-handed approach is unjust and undermines the voices of those who will bear the brunt of these decisions.' The residents urged the state government to have a constructive dialogue with the affected families. 'It is essential that we listen to their concerns and work collectively towards a solution that acknowledges their rights and perspectives,' said the statement. 'A meeting with the actual affected families can pave the way for a more peaceful and respectful resolution.' The residents condemned what they called a draconian activity. 'We stand in solidarity with our community and will continue to advocate for fairness and justice.' In December, China approved the construction of what will be the world's biggest hydropower dam on the eastern rim of the ecologically fragile Tibetan plateau. The approval triggered concerns about the impact of the dam, which could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh. The Power Construction Corp of China estimated the $137 billion dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. It would be three times more energy than that China's Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest with an installed capacity of 88.2 billion kWh, produces.
